Southern Vermont College Alumnus Wayne Hemingway to Assist with Veterans Scholar Program

August 12, 2013

Southern Vermont College (SVC) is looking forward to welcoming its military veterans for its new Veterans Scholar Program (VSP) in January 2014. To recruit veterans for and insure their success in this important program, SVC has hired United States Army veteran Wayne Hemingway, SVC Class of 2013, to be the liaison to the various branches of the military.

Karen Gross, SVC President, commented, “We are thrilled to be launching this new initiative with Wayne’s assistance. Having a graduate and a veteran working with Program Director Sara Patch is critically important to insuring that our enrolled veterans are a success.”

During President Gross’ year in Washington, D.C. as a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Education, she worked personnel from the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Labor together with the Domestic Policy Council and National Security Staff and the various branches of the Armed Forces to implement a revised transition assistance program for returning service men and women, facilitating their transition from military life to civilian life, including college.

In his new role, Hemingway is responsible for communicating with various representatives of veteran organizations and veteran support programs to help those students have a similar college experience to the one he enjoyed.

“I’m really excited to start recruiting a multitude of vets from various branches of the armed forces to SVC,” said Hemingway, “and ensure they succeed on their paths to their diplomas. SVC is such a hospitable community that I am confident our vets can thrive here.

“With all the support that I had from faculty, staff and peers,” Hemingway added, “I feel I can guide fellow veterans to the proper support that they need in order to have a positive transition process from the military to college.”

Hemingway graduated this past spring from SVC with an Associate in Science degree in Criminal Justice and intends to complete his bachelor’s degree within the next few years. Wayne has already started working to build the relationships needed to make this program work effectively.

Hemingway was in the US Army for three years before being deployed to Afghanistan from 2009-10. There, he was the Sergeant Team Leader of the 4th Battalion 23rd Infantry Regiment, Alpha Company 1st Platoon 3rd Squad Alpha Team Leader. After being honorably discharged, he spent two years with the Vermont National Guard with the potential to be sent for another tour of duty, also as a Sgt. Team Leader.

A native of Manchester, Vt., and Burr & Burton Academy graduate, Hemingway has been awarded numerous times including being the recipient of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, two Army Achievement Medals, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and Army Service Ribbon.